Pipe-coupling



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W. MARTIN, l PIPE GOUPLING. No. 439,022.

Patented Oct. Z1, 1890...

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PIPE UPLING.

No. 439,022. Patented Oat. 21, 1890.

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PIPE GOUPLING. No. 439,022. j/Patented Oct. 2l, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM MARTIN, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK.

PIPE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,022, dated October21, 1890.

Serial No. 314,088. (No model.)

To all whom z5 may concern:

v Beitknown that I, WILLIAM MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Universal Pipe-Couplin gsand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of said invention, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in universal or double ball jointcouplings, and is particularly adapted for use with railwaycars forconnecting the heating or air pipes between the same.

The invention consists in forming the shell or socket portion insubstantially semicircular form, to form a semi-spherical seat for thesemi-spherical ball portion of the joint with which one of the pipes isconnected, and in holding said ball portion to its seat by means of aninner semi-spherical shell acted upon by a spring.

It further consists in providing the shell or socket with a cap or coverhaving a perforated tube projecting therefrom and which tube is adaptedto pass through t-he inner semicircular shell, and in mounting upon saidtube a spring to engage said cap or cover and the inner shell to forcesaid inner shell and through it the ball portion to its seat in the caseor socket.

It further consists in providing the outer shell or socket with acircumferentially-arranged groove on its inner face to receive apacking, and to certain details ot' construction and arrangements ofparts, all as hereinafter described.v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion oftwo railwaycars, showing my improved pipe-coupling applied thereto. Fig.2 is a transverse section through the coupling as constructed to beapplied to railway-cars, with inlet and outlet ports arranged at rightangles to each other. Fig. 3 is a modification of the' coupling in whicha double joint is employed, where the inlet and outlet ports are in linewith each other. Fig. 4 is a modification of the device when the innershell is provided with a shank or stem to engage a socket in the cap orcover; and Fig. 5 is a section of the same, taken on the line Fig. 4.

The outer shell or socket A is in substantially semi-spherical form,with its inner face stepped, as shown at A A2, forming a seat for thesemi-spherical ball portion B, to which one portion of the pipe isconnected. The portion A is curved to fit closely the outer face of theball portion, and said portion A is provided with a circumferentialgroove a to receive a packing a', while the portion A2 is of slightlylarger diameter than the ball portion to leave a steam-space betweentheir faces, and by which means I obtain both a packed and steam seatfor the ball.

The ball portion B is made in semi-spherical form, and is provided withthe internallyscrew-threaded shank by which the connecting-pipe B issecured thereto. The inner shell is composed of the hub portion C, withthe radially-arranged spokes C having their outer faces curved to iitand engage the inner face of the ball portion, as shown, theconstruction being such that the steam is permitted to pass up throughthe hub, and also between the spokes, and ll the chamber D with steam orair. A cap or cover E, provided with a suitable external thread upon itsperipheral face to engage a corresponding internal thread on the case,and from the center of this cap or cover extends a hollow tubularportion E', cast with or otherwise secured thereto, and which portionextends down and through the hub O of the shell. This hollow tubularportion is provided with numerous holes to permit the steam or airpassing into the same to escape or pass to the space or chamber D.Surrounding the hollow tubular portion E is a spiral spring E2, whichengages the cap and the hub C of the inner shell, and serving by thetension thereon to force and hold the inner shell engaged with the ballportion and through it said ball portion to its seat. An opening G isformed iu the shell portion to receive the other connecting-pipe.

By the construction and arrangement of parts as above described it willbe seen that the steam is all admitted to the space or chamber D andthat the entire pressure of the IOO steam is exerted on the ballportion, so that the higher the pressure the tighter it will be forcedto its seat and against the packing. The ball may either be providedwith a straight opening, as shown, or may be provided with an L, asshall be found desirable and the nature of the case shall require.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the device, which is adapted for useWhere the two outlets are on a line with each other, in which case,instead of employing a cap, two semispherical shells are used connectedtogether, each provided With a ball and inner-shell portion and in whichthe tubular portion is screwed into one of the hubs of the inner shells,and the spring engages the two hubs and acting in a similar manner tothe construction just described.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the inner shell is shown as provided with a shank orstem I-I, and the cap or cover is provided with a depending socketedportion I'I, with which the stem engages, and in which case the springis mounted on the stem and rests upon the inner shell and against theend of the socket portion I-l.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a flexible joint-coupling, the shell or socket portion made insubstantially semispheroidal form, a semi-spherical ball portion fittingtherein, an inner shell, and a spring acting on said inner shell to holdthe ball portion to its seat, substantially as described.

2. In a flexible joint-coupling, the shell or socket portion made insubstantially semispherieal form, having its inner face stepped and oneof the stepped portions provided with a circumferential packing-groove,a semispherical ball portion, and a spring to hold the ball portion toits seat, substantially as described, whereby both a steam and packedjoint is formed between the parts, as set forth.

In a flexible joint-coupling, the shell or socket having the cap orcover provided with the perforated tube projecting therefrom, asemi-spherical ball portion, an inner semispherical shell provided withthe hub, and the spring surrounding the tube and engaging the cap andthe hub of the inner shell, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WM. MARTIN.

Vitnesses:

A. J. LUNT, W. E. CAUsEN.

